XMen: Alpha Episode V: A Woman Scorned
by wiley21
Summary: A mysterious power awakens within Jean and the XMen must clash with one of their own.
1. Part One

**X-Men: Alpha**

**Episode V**

**A Woman Scorned**

**Part One**

The sun shone down brightly on the Xavier Institute.

A light spring breeze ruffled the leaves in the trees and carried the sweet scent of flowers throughout the pristine estate.

A blue bird dropped down from the sky and landed on a window sill.

The bird chirped it's song as it enjoyed the perfect weather.

Suddenly, the avian fluttered from it's perch as the idyllic scene, along with several windows, was shattered.

Inside, Scott Summers ducked just in time to avoid a chair that sailed across the room.

He dove behind a nearby credenza. After a few more items struck his cover, the young mutant peered over the top.

Jean Grey stood nearby. She clutched the sides of her head.

Tears streamed down her face as books, pieces of furniture and a bowl containing two rather unfortunate goldfish swirled around her.

Every few seconds, one of the projectiles would fly across the room.

He wasn't sure what had set her off. He knew she was having difficulty adjusting to living away from her family, but Jean had never lost it like this before.

Again, Scott narrowly avoided being struck by a picture frame. However, a large table hit the credenza and knocked it backward.

Summers stumbled back and tripped over some of the debris.

As his head struck the ground, his red sunglasses fell off and powerful energy burst forth.

The beam plowed through the wall, leaving behind a gaping hole.

Scott quickly closed his eyes as he cursed himself.

Professor Xavier had told him that he would be able to train himself to instinctively close his eyes whenever his glasses fell off, but he wasn't at that point yet.

Summers rolled to his stomach and began feeling for his glasses.

"Just to your left, Scott."

Scott moved his hand to the left and found them. "Thanks, Professor. What's going on with Jean?"

Xavier calmly moved his head to the side to avoid a flying lamp. "I'm not sure, but it needs to stop now."

The mutant focused his incredible mental powers and reached into the mind of his distressed student.

After a few masterfully organized psychic waves, Jean Grey's eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground.

Scott ran to her side as Xavier slowly followed.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes. I just put her to sleep."

"Is this kind of thing normal?"

"When a psychic is under emotional stress, they can lose control of their powers."

"Did it ever happen to you?"

"Several times, unfortunately. You had best take her to her room."

Scott scooped the redhead into his arms. "What are you going to do?"

"I need to check on a few prospective students."

Summers' eyebrows arched. "Oh, yeah? Anybody good?"

The elder mutant smiled. "Let's just say we'll never need an ice cube tray again."

"Cool." The young mutant turned and made his way upstairs.

As Scott stepped out of sight, Xavier's smile disappeared.

Surveying the aftermath of Jean's eruption, he furrowed his brow and placed a hand on his chin.

He wasn't entirely dishonest. The scenario he had described to Scott was possible.

It's just not what had happened here.

Jean was not powerful enough to cause such destruction.

Not yet.

Not on her own.

-X-

_**5 Years Later...**_

Jean's hand never touched the pen as it moved across the paper.

Her fingers were poised above the writing tool, but it was her mind that guided it.

Charles Xavier watched as his student wrote in perfect cursive scripts.

The telekinetic control that such a feat required was immense and she had never completed an entire letter to her family without faltering.

As she neared completion, he could not help but become excited at this new achievement.

She had worked very hard over the past several years to gain this kind of precision. Now it was in her grasp.

Days in which their students show great improvement were what teachers dreamed of.

However, this would not be one of those days.

Just as Jean began her final line, the pen suddenly streaked a few inches to the side leaving a long, black mark.

"Damn!" The redheaded mutant tossed the pen across the room before giving her mentor an exasperated look. "You know, they have e-mail."

Xavier smiled. "Yes, but I've always found those to be rather impersonal."

Jean sighed as she crumbled up the ruined letter. "Why is this so hard, Professor? I've picked up cars before."

"That is nothing but pure strength. This is control."

"I don't see anyone else having to do this stuff."

"Their powers are as under control as they are going to be. As psychics, we have a steeper hill to climb."

"I guess." Jean rubbed her temples.

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just a slight headache. So why are we only working on my TK? What about my telepathy?"

The Professor took a deep breath before responding. "I'm sorry, Jean, but your telepathy is not progressing very well. You know that."

Jean only nodded. The disappointment on her face was apparent.

"Don't worry, my dear. It will develop in time. Until then..."

"Yeah, yeah."

Jean took out a clean sheet of paper.

-X-

Rogue caught Mystique's wrist just before a knife was driven into her throat.

The young mutant twisted her mother's arm until she released her hold on the weapon.

With startling agility, Mystique rolled forward and sprang to her feet. She followed with an attempt to drive her knee into her opponent's stomach.

After blocking the strike by lifting her own knee, Rogue struck the side of Mystique's head with her forearm.

The blue-skinned mutant staggered backward and quickly fell victim to several vicious strikes. The last of which sent her reeling to the ground.

Rogue stood over her fallen foe and sneered. "End simulation."

Responding to her voice command, the Danger Room deactivated and Mystique faded away.

Moments later, Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy emerged from the control booth. "That was quite impressive, Rogue."

The look that was offered as response was far from pleasant.

"I take it you disagree."

"What the hell was that?! She's better than that, dammit!"

"My apologies, but I have only a cursory knowledge of her fighting ability. I've done my best."

"Well, your best sucks!"

The teenager stormed away. She grabbed a bottle of water and took a drink.

She paused for a moment and then turned to face McCoy. "I didn't mean that. Sorry."

"That's alright. You know, some of the others have become rather skilled in the booth. Perhaps one of them can..."

"No! They can't know about this!"

"Worried that they might start wondering why you are so intent on beating Mystique?"

Rogue slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you cared what they thought about you."

Her eyes narrowed. "I didn't say that. There's just no tellin' what they'd do if they found out about me."

McCoy placed his hand on her shoulder. "Rogue, you were young, impressionable and terrified. Magneto took advantage of that."

Rogue shrugged his hand off. "I know what happened. I was there, remember."

The young mutant walked past him and stepped over to a panel.

After pressing a button, a punching bag emerged from the wall.

As McCoy watched her resume training, he knew that he would have to keep an eye on her.

It doesn't take much for determination to become obsession.

-X-

Storm knocked softly on the door. "Kitty? Are you in there?"

She waited for a moment but a response never came.

"Kitty?" Again she knocked.

"Go away!"

"I knew you were in there. Let me in."

"No!"

"Do you have any idea how fast I could take this door down?"

Storm's eyes turned white and she called forth a small burst of wind that pressed against the door causing a faint creaking sound.

"You're bluffing."

The wind quickly dispersed and Storm's eyes returned to normal. "Damn."

Ororo quickly glanced around to make sure no one was nearby.

When she was sure no one was watching, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a hairpin.

She inserted the pin into the lock and carefully manipulated it.

After a few moments, she turned the doorknob and the door swung open.

Kitty shot up in her bed. Her eyes were wide as she surveyed Storm's entrance. "You picked my lock?!"

"Well, you wouldn't open the door. What was I supposed to do?"

"Oh, I don't know, go away. Where'd you learn to do that anyway?"

"Nevermind that. Have you been out of bed today?"

"Yes."

Storm's eyes narrowed.

Kitty hung her head. "No."

"Come on, Kitty. Things are not going to get any better while you're laying here."

"I don't want to see him." Kitty plopped back down on her bed. "It's bad enough that I have to train with him and go to school with him."

Storm sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'll bet. Still, you can't just hide out in here."

"We'll see about that."

"Listen, you can't let this control your life. You have to move on."

"Move on?!" Kitty sat up again. "He broke my heart!"

Storm only looked at her with a sympathetic expression.

"I can't just move on." A tear trickled down her cheek as she lowered her head back down to her pillow. "Why would he do this to me, 'Ro?"

"I guess he felt it wasn't going to work out between the two of you."

"No, he did because he's a jealous jerk."

"You really think he's jealous of a dead guy?"

"Yes."

Storm rose and walked over to the window. "I don't know about that. Bobby's not exactly the most secure person I've ever met, but that seems a bit much."

"Who cares? I just want to be mad at him. Is that alright with you?"

Ororo stepped back to the bed. "Yes. Yes, that would be great. You should be mad. So, go be mad."

Kitty sat up and looked at her for a moment. "You're just trying to get me out of bed aren't you?"

Storm only raised an eyebrow.

"Nice try." She laid back down and pulled her comforter over her head.

"Fine, do whatever you want," Storm opened the door but turned back to her friend before she exited. "but do you know what Bobby is doing right now?"

Kitty peered out from under the bed sheet. "What?"

"I'm not sure, but I bet he's not in bed."

As Storm left, Kitty immediately kicked her comforter off and rolled out of bed.

-X-

Cyclops entered complex codes into the Danger Room's control computer.

In the chair next to his, Bobby leaned back with his feet propped up. He stared at the ceiling with a somber expression.

"First, I was thinking of putting in some laser turrets."

"Uh huh."

"Then, maybe some fire traps and pendulum blades."

"Uh huh."

Summers gave his teammate a sidelong glance. "Finally, Charles Lindbergh is going to fly around in a golf cart and drop exploding ducks."

"Uh huh."

"Bobby!"

Drake started and turned to him. "What?"

"Pay attention. You're supposed to be learning to do this. I understand what you must be going through, but..."

Bobby sat up in the chair. "Going through? I'm not 'going through' anything."

"You did just break up with your girlfriend."

"Yeah, well, it had to be done. I've had time to get over it."

"It was only a week ago."

"Whatever." Bobby stood up and left the booth.

As he entered the hall, Peter walked up to him.

"Robert, how..."

Iceman quickly held up his hand. "Save it."

Peter watched as Bobby kept walking.

"Don't take it personally, Peter." Scott stepped out of the booth. "He's neck deep in denial."

"That is unfortunate. I wish that he and Kitty could have worked things out."

"Me too, but I guess that ship has sailed. So, how long are you going to allow Kitty to be single?"

"I'm afraid that ship has also sailed."

"Moving on, huh? Well, good luck with Rogue."

Colossus smirked as Cyclops turned and walked back into the booth.

-X-

Duncan waited near the school's main entrance.

He glanced around the oncoming crowd searching for his girlfriend.

A slight tap on his shoulder caused him to turn.

"Hey there. Looking for anyone I know?"

Jean stood before him in her cheerleading uniform. "Yeah. I'm looking for my girlfriend. Have you seen her?"

"Red hair? Pleasant demeanor? Smoking hot?"

"Sounds like her." Duncan put his arm around her waist and the two kissed.

"Ahem!"

Jean quickly pulled away as a teacher walked by. "Sorry."

"Listen, I need to talk to you about something. I talked to Lisa..."

"From the squad?"

"Yeah, her. Anyway, she said you guys would be choosing your head cheerleader soon."

"That's right."

"She also said you weren't interested in the position."

"Yeah. I have enough going on without adding more. The head cheerleader has to do a lot of extra stuff."

Duncan moved his arm as he nodded. "I see. Here's the thing. I'm the quarterback of the football team. The quarterback and the head cheerleader are supposed to go together."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "They are?"

"Well, it's not set in stone or anything, but that's the way it's supposed to be. You see, it's important for us to be the top couple in this school."

Jean's eyebrow remained cocked. "It is?"

"Of course. I mean, if someone else becomes head cheerleader and she starts dating somebody else on the team then they could end up being the top couple. Is that something you want?"

"I...guess not. I never really thought about it. I had no idea it was so important to you."

"Well it is." Duncan took her hands. "So give it some thought, ok?"

"Ok."

The two kissed and were once again interrupted. "Ahem!"

This time Duncan pulled away. "Don't you have a class to teach?"

Jean grinned. "Well, I have one to get to. I'll see you later."

-X-

"You know what I haven't seen? Remorse! Pain! That's what!"

Rogue glared at Kitty from across the lunch table. "Why did I sit with you?"

"Why should I be rolling around in my misery while he just goes on with his stupid life!"

"Listen, I don't really give a..."

"Storm was right! I should be mad!" Rogue got up to leave, but Kitty grabbed her backpack. "Wait! What do you think I should do?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Let go."

Kitty slowly released her grip. "Sorry."

"If you want my opinion, you should make him rue the day he dumped you."

The short brunette thought about it for a moment. "You're just saying that because you don't like him."

"I didn't say it wasn't a biased opinion." Rogue grabbed her tray and walked away.

Kitty leaned back slightly in her chair and tapped her chin with two fingers. "Rue the day, huh?"

-X-

"Okay everyone, pay attention." Lisa stepped before the cheer squad and put her blonde hair in a ponytail. "It's time to choose our head cheerleader."

The squad sat at a library table that had been reserved for them to have their meetings.

Lisa continued. "I, of course, nominate myself. Anyone else?"

Jean rubbed her temples. Her head had been pounding lately.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized the entire squad was looking at her.

"Oh, sorry. No."

Lisa's eyebrows arched. "No?"

"That's right. I really don't have the time to devote to the position."

Lisa suppressed a smile. "Well, Jean, if you don't have the time then you don't have the time. If there are no other nominations, then I am now head cheerleader."

The squad applauded their new leader.

"Ok, everyone, tomorrow we'll meet at the gym to work on our routines. See you all then."

As the cheerleaders began to disperse, Lisa quickly approached Jean.

"Jean, I must say I'm a little surprised that you didn't go for it."

"Well, it wouldn't be fair to the squad to make that commitment when I knew I couldn't do the job." She smiled at her. "Watch your back, though. I could be taking your place."

The two let out a laugh and then shared a quick hug. As Jean turned and walked away, Lisa's smile turn into a conniving smirk.

"Oh no, Jean..." She said quietly. "I'll be taking _**your**_ place."

-X-

Peter pulled a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

As he took a drink, Bobby stepped into the kitchen.

"Pete, you Russians like hockey, right?"

Colossus cocked an eyebrow. "I do believe it is rather popular among 'us Russians', but I never really got into it. Why do you ask?"

"I ordered tickets to the Rangers vs. the Blackhawks a few weeks ago and they arrived today. I have two if you're interested."

"You aren't going to go?"

"Hell no. I hate both those teams. I'm a Bruins guy myself. I ordered them because the 'Hawks are Kitty's home team."

"Oh, I see. You were going to go to this game with Kitty."

"You are a frickin' genius. You want the damn tickets?"

"Tickets?" Kitty seemed to pop out of nowhere.

"Geez! Do you have to do that?!"

"Calm down, Bobby. What tickets?"

"Tickets to a hockey game for the two of you." Peter answered.

Bobby shot him a look that could kill someone.

"Really? Wow! I've never been to a hockey game!"

"Yeah, well, I'm sure Pete would be happy to go with you."

"Oh, come on. You paid for them. You should go to the game with me."

"No thanks."

"Alright. I understand. Being around me must be very painful for you."

Bobby's eyebrows arched. "What?"

"It's ok, Bobby. You're hurting. I understand. It's not easy for you to be around me when I am clearly over you and you're still hung up on me."

Peter nervously took a step away from the two.

It took every ounce of self-control for Kitty to keep herself from smiling as Bobby stared at her in disbelief.

"What?!"

Kitty took the tickets from him. "Don't worry, I'll take the tickets. Maybe you should get some Ben and Jerry's and just curl up in bed."

Bobby snatched the tickets from her hand. "Give me those! We're leaving at six!"

As he stormed off, Kitty finally allowed herself to grin.

"Kitty: one. Bobby: nothing."

Peter looked at her curiously. "What?"

Kitty paid him no mind and just walked off.

"Peter." McCoy stepped into the kitchen. "I was wondering if I could have a word with you."

"Of course, Doctor."

The two men stepped out of the kitchen and into the nearby den.

McCoy glanced around to make sure they were alone. "Alright. It's about Rogue."

"What about her?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that she has been practically living in the Danger Room. Frankly, I'm becoming concerned about her."

"Why?"

McCoy considered his words carefully. He didn't want to say anything that could jeopardize Rogue's secret.

"She has been feeling a little helpless lately. It goes back to the fight with the Sentinel, I believe. As a result, she has been overcompensating for that by training constantly."

"She need not feel that way. She contributes as much to the team as anyone else."

"We both know that. We both also know talking to her about it would be useless."

Peter nodded as McCoy continued.

"I think you should ask her to go out with you tonight."

"Do you really think she would?" Peter seemed genuinely excited.

"I'm not sure, but it's worth a try. If she continues on like this she's going to end up burning herself out."

"Agreed. I will do what I can, Doctor." Peter hurried away.

McCoy smirked as he watched him go. "Sorry I had to twist your arm."

-X-

Jean closed her cell phone as she and Storm entered the Institute.

"I got his voicemail again. I hope he's not upset. He really wanted me to go for head cheerleader."

Storm muttered. "I'll bet he did."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Hey, girls." Scott greeted the two at the entrance. "Jean, did you make head cheerleader?"

"I decided not to. Now I think Duncan's mad at me."

Jean's head suddenly wrenched in pain. "Ahh!"

Scott placed his hand on her shoulder. "Jean? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. It's just this headache won't go away."

"Maybe you should lie down." Storm suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'll be upstairs if anyone needs me."

Cyclops walked with her to the stairs. "Don't worry about it. You just get some rest."

As Jean disappeared up the stairs, Storm turned to Scott. "I don't like this."

"It's just a headache, 'Ro."

"Not that. This thing with Duncan has me concerned. There's no telling how he's going to react to Jean's decision."

"You think he's going to make a big deal about it?"

"Possibly. He's already not returning her calls."

Summers nodded in agreement. "There is a lot of prestige that comes along with dating the head cheerleader."

"And shallow ingrates like Duncan value that over everything. Let's just hope that we're overreacting."

As Storm turned and walked away, a selfish part of Scott Summers mind hoped for the worst.

-X-

Jean leisurely strolled the grounds of the Xavier Institute.

Her red hair waved in the cool air.

She knelt down to pick a flower that had caught her eye.

Jean lifted the flower to her nose and took in its scent.

No sooner had she done so than it began to wither and die.

Suddenly, she noticed that the sky had grown dark and the cool breeze had given way to waves of immense heat.

The young mutant slowly turned to the Institute to find it engulfed in flames.

She ran to the building while trying to resist the increasing temperature.

Jean reached the door, but it would not open.

Summoning her telekinesis, she resolved to smash the obstruction down. To her surprise, her mental powers did not answer her call.

She moved down the side of the building and came to a window. She squinted as she attempted to see inside the burning school.

To her horror, she found that her teammates and friends were burning alive.

Before she could attempt to smash the glass, Jean felt the sensation of being watched.

After glancing to the left and right, she tilted her head upwards.

What she beheld she scarcely believed.

The fire had formed into the visage of a giant bird. It glared down at her with pitch black eyes.

Slowly, Jean stepped backward. At that moment, the fire bird reared back and released an ear-shattering screech.

The force of the creature's breath nearly knocked Jean to the ground. Instead, the girl turned and fled.

Jean glanced over her shoulder to see the bird take to the air. Long, powerful strokes of its fiery wings propelled the beast toward her.

She ran as fast as she could, but she knew it would not be enough.

The fire bird grew closer...

closer...

closer...

"Aaah!" Jean shot up in her bed.

She was breathing heavily and sweat had beaded her forehead.

The redhead glanced at her clock. She had only been asleep for twenty minutes.

Jean got out of bed and walked over to her mirror. As she wiped the sweat from her brow, she looked down at her cell phone.

When she saw that she had received no calls, Jean dialed Duncan's number.

After a few rings, the phone was answered. The voice Jean heard was not the one she was expecting. "Hello?"

"Lisa?"

"Oh, hello Jean."

"Where's Duncan? And why are you answering his phone?"

"I better let you talk to him."

"Please."

After some barely audible muttering, Duncan's voice came through. "Yeah?"

"Hi. What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You left school without so much as a goodbye and you haven't been returning my calls."

"Gee, Jean, I didn't know that kind of thing was important to you. If you had told me how important it was to you, I would have done it."

His point was not lost on her. "Duncan, I can't be the head cheerleader. I don't have the time."

"Well, you should've made the time."

"Why?"

"Because I told you to."

"What?!"

"You heard me. When I tell you to do something, you damn well better do it."

"Well, maybe some one should have told you that I'm your girlfriend, not your slave!"

Duncan was silent for a moment. When he finally responded his voice was ice cold.

"Actually, your neither."

Jean's mouth opened but nothing came out. Her head began to pound again, but she did her best to ignore it.

"Surprised? I don't see why. Don't pretend you didn't know the score coming into this thing. I picked you to be my girl because you had everything needed to become the most popular girl in school. The only thing you were missing was the most prestigious title a girl in high school can have; head cheerleader."

"B-but I..."

"Save it, Jean. We were both in this "relationship" for selfish reasons. You were with me because I'm the top dog at that school."

"I was not! I was with you because I liked you!" Her head pounded harder.

Duncan let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, right. Anyway, seeing as how your potential has fallen considerably, Lisa is going to be taking your place. I hope that doesn't strain your friendship. See ya, Jean."

"Duncan, wait!"

A dial tone was all that answered. Jean's eyes began to water as she tried to grasp what had just happened.

He was using her. He had been from the beginning. And he thought that she was using him.

As far as he were concerned neither of them cared about each other.

He certainly didn't care, but she did. If she hadn't, this wouldn't have hurt some much.

To make matters worst, Lisa stabbed her in the back. She was probably her only friend that didn't live under this roof.

As she continued to feel the sting, her head began to pound harder and harder.

Jean clutched the sides of her head. Her face began to twist in agony.

She feel to her knees and then everything went dark.


	2. Part Two

**X-Men: Alpha**

**Episode V**

**A Woman Scorned**

**Part Two**

Sweat stung Rogue's eyes as she struggled to lift a barbell into the air.

The weight that she was bench pressing was far beyond her normal limit.

Her decision to try it was starting to look questionable.

With every ounce of strength she could muster, Rogue lifted the weights a few inches but that was all.

As the weight slowly lowered, she did everything she could to keep the bar from coming down on her throat.

Just before she dropped them, muscular arms reached down and grabbed the weights.

With relative ease, they were lifted up and returned to the rack.

Colossus looked down to his teammate. "Are you alright, Rogue?"

She quickly sat up and wiped the sweat from her eyes. "I'm fine. I could've handled it."

"That is far too much weight for someone of your size."

"Whatever." Rogue walked over to a bottle of water and took a drink.

Peter nervously ran his hand through his hair as he searched for the right words. "So, Rogue, I was wondering if you would like to...um...get out of here for a while."

She turned to him with an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"You have been working very hard. I just thought you might like to do something to relax. We could grab some food or perhaps see a movie or something."

"Are you askin' me out again?"

"Well, I wouldn't say...yes, yes I suppose I am."

"I got work to do." Rogue stepped back to the barbell and began to remove some of the weight.

Peter took a deep breath. "You see, Rogue, the thing is I am concerned about you."

She looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"You are spending all of your time in here. Now, you are trying to bench press more than twice your body weight. I am afraid you are going to end up hurting yourself."

"So what?"

"I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Rogue's expression lightened. "Yer serious, aren't you?"

Colossus smiled. "Yes. Very serious."

She thought for an moment and then let out a sigh. "Awright."

"Really?! Great!"

Rogue grabbed a towel and headed for the exit. "Gimme an hour."

"As you wish."

Before she could reached the door, a rattling sound caught her attention.

She glanced around and then turned to Peter. "You hear that?"

Colossus was also seeking the source of the noise. "Yes."

Rogue walked over to the weights and found them shaking. "What do ya make of that?"

"I do not know."

-X-

Kitty smirked devilishly as she finished putting her hair in pigtails.

Bobby loved her hair in pigtails.

She had already put on the tightest pair of pants she owned and had hiked her breasts up as much as she could.

She had done everything she could to make herself look as desirable as possible. He was going to see exactly what he was missing.

The final step was ruby-red lipstick.

Before she could apply any, her image in the mirror began shake.

After a closer look, she found the mirror itself was shaking.

Kitty looked down to her makeup kit and it too was trembling.

"What the heck?"

-X-

Scott carefully pondered his next move.

His opponent was formidable but not unbeatable.

He knew that one false move would lead to his destruction.

Without wasting another moment, he reached out and moved his knight.

"Ok. Let's see you deal with that."

Xavier surveyed the chessboard and quickly identified the appropriate counter.

He moved his bishop and took Cyclops' knight. "As you wish."

Summers leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh. "Why do I even play this game?"

"Perhaps you have convinced yourself that one of these days you are bound to..."

Xavier's words drifted off as he slowly looked around his study.

"Something wrong, sir?"

"I'm sensing a great deal of psychic turbulence."

Cyclops intended to inquire further, but movement on the chessboard caught his attention.

The pieces were trembling. A few were falling over.

He had seen something like this before. If memory served, it was about five years ago.

Summers looked to his mentor. "It's Jean!"

"You must get to her at once. I will try to calm her from here."

Scott was out the door in seconds. As he headed down the hall, Bobby stepped out of his room.

"S-Man, what the hell is going on?"

"No time to explain just come with me."

The duo hurried around a corner. Down the hall, Storm was heading their direction.

"Scott, are we under attack?"

"No. It's Jean. Her powers are going haywire again."

"Again? I don't recall this happening before."

"Well, I do."

Cyclops arrived at Jean's door with Storm and Iceman close behind.

"_X-Men," _Xavier's voice entered their minds. _"Jean is displaying an unforeseeable amount of resistance to my telepathy. I will need a few moments."_

Summers swung Jean's door open to find a familiar sight.

The young psychic was down on both knees. She clutched her head and her mouth opened as though she were trying to scream, but nothing was audible.

"Jean? Jean, can you hear me?"

Cyclops leaned back to avoid being struck by a book that came flying across the room.

"Yeah, that never gets old."

Suddenly, Jean's body convulsed and a small shockwave of telekinetic force burst forth.

The windows in her room shattered. Her pillows flew from her bed and Scott was thrown backward and into Bobby.

The mutants were knocked back into the hallway and sprawled on the floor.

Storm looked down on the two. "Nice work."

"Thanks. It worked like a charm." Scott picked himself up and then pulled Bobby to his feet.

"_She has been subdued, students. Please bring her to the infirmary."_

Scott stepped into her room to find Jean unconscious on the floor. "We're on our way, Professor."

-X-

The team gathered in the infirmary as Dr. McCoy checked on Jean.

"She's perfectly fine." McCoy stood next to the bed in which Jean laid. "She'll just need a bit of rest."

Suddenly, the redhead jolted from her sleep.

"Or perhaps not."

Cyclops stepped up to the bed. "Jean, are you alright?"

"I...I think so. What happened?"

Bobby was the first to respond. "You wigged out."

Storm struck him in the back of the head.

"Well, she did."

Another strike followed.

"Alright! Damn!"

Storm turned her attention to Jean. "You had a slight outburst."

"Is something bothering you, Jean? Your powers go out of control when you're emotionally stressed, right Professor."

Scott turned to Xavier. The telepath seemed deep in thought. Judging by the look on his face, his thoughts were far from pleasant.

"Professor? Did you hear me?"

Xavier quickly looked up. "Yes, of course, Scott. You are correct."

"Well, actually," the team turned to Jean and quickly took note of her eyes watering. "Duncan broke up with me."

"Over that cheerleader thing?" Kitty sounded appalled.

"Yes. To make things worse, he said he never cared about me at all and he's already with a friend of mine."

Scott took her by the hand. "Are you going to be ok?"

She quickly wiped away a tear. "Yeah. I guess so. I just need some time."

"Students," the team turned to face Xavier. "I need to speak with Jean for a moment. If you would excuse us."

"You heard the Professor, let's go." Scott lead the group out of the infirmary.

As they exited into the hall, Kitty turned and looked back in at Jean. "Wow. She looks so hurt. I hope I never get dumped by a guy I care about."

Bobby's eyebrows shot up. The rest of the team just looked at him, anxiously awaiting a response.

"Oh well. Let's go, Bobby. We have a game to get to." She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and then walked down the hall.

Scott stepped up beside him. "Are you just going to take it on the chin like that?"

Bobby shrugged. "Like I care if she cares. Look at her. You know why she's dressed like that, don't you?"

"I can guess."

"She thinks she can just hike up her kittens and wear pants that make her ass look like a work of art and I'm just going to drool."

Scott noticed that Bobby's eyes hadn't left her since she walked away. "Well, you're sure showing her."

-X-

"How are you feeling?"

Jean sat on the edge of the bed. "Physically, I'm fine. Even better than before. My headache's gone."

Xavier gauged her reactions carefully. "Emotionally?"

"I hurt like hell."

"You weren't with Duncan all that long."

"No, but I felt there was something there. I guess I was wrong."

"Perhaps it was not so much that the relationship ended, but how the relationship ended."

"Maybe. Why does this keep happening to me, Professor?"

Xavier placed his hand on his chin and slowly shook his head. "I wish I knew, my dear. Each time it has occurred, it coincided with a step forward in the development of your powers. This time, however, I can sense no change."

Jean hung her head. "It's been such a long time. I thought for sure that it wasn't going to happen again."

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do."

Xavier suddenly noticed that Jean's left hand had a very tight grip on the mattress.

"So, Jean, tell me about this other girl that Duncan is seeing."

Her grip tightened considerably, but her facial expression didn't change. "Why?"

"I'm just curious."

"I'd rather not talk about her."

"Duncan, then. Tell me how your feeling about him."

Xavier could scarcely believe his eyes as Jean's fingernails punctured the mattress.

This time her expression changed considerably. Her eyes grew cold and a sneer edged her face.

"I could snap his neck!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she placed a hand over it. Her expression changed to one of utter shock.

"Professor, I...I didn't mean..."

"Of course you didn't."

Jean closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. "I think I need to lie down."

"Perhaps you should go up to your room. You'll probably be more comfortable there."

"Probably." The redhead got up and headed for the door. Before making it out, she turned back to her mentor. "Professor, I really didn't mean what I said."

Xavier offered a reassuring smile. "I know, Jean. You would never mean something like that."

She wearily smiled back and then left the room.

Out in the hallway, Jean was immediately surrounded.

"Jean, are you..."

"Please, Scott. Not now."

"Sorry."

The others watched as Jean seemed to stagger down the hall.

Xavier wheeled out a few seconds later. "Everyone, I need your attention."

"Kitty and Bobby left, Professor. They only had an hour and a half to get over to the Garden."

"That's fine, Scott. Alright, to answer the question before it is asked; Jean is going to be fine. Everyone feel free to return to your normal activities."

As the Professor headed back into the infirmary, Peter turned to Rogue. "Are you ready to go?"

"I guess."

Storm observed them with a raised eyebrow. "You two are going out?"

"What of it?"

"Nothing. It's just a little strange."

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Strange how?"

"Are we going to sit here and debate it or are you going to go do it?"

"Oh, we're goin' awright. Let's go, Peter."

Rogue stormed down the hall as Colossus slowly followed.

"Yeah, that date's going to go great." Storm turned to Cyclops and took note of the concern etched on his face. "She's going to be fine, Scott. Relax."

"Yeah. I guess I should."

"Besides, it looks like it's just us tonight. I don't want to hang out with you if you're going to be bummed the whole time."

"Fair enough."

"Ok. So what do you want to do?"

"There's only one thing we can do: get that world history grade of yours turned around."

Storm just looked at him for a moment. "You can't be serious."

"I'll get my books."

Ororo set out a sigh. "Why couldn't they have had a third ticket to that game."

-X-

Kitty and Bobby navigated the narrow rows of seats at Madison Square Garden.

The teams had taken the ice and the game was moments away from beginning.

Kitty was slightly discouraged. Her makeover had received plenty of attention since they left the institute.

Unfortunately, most of that attention was coming from people other than Bobby.

She knew he noticed her new look. It just wasn't getting to him as much as she thought it would.

It was time for plan B. She would do everything in her power to see to it that he didn't enjoy a second of this game.

Kitty rubbed her arms and called upon her most annoying voice. "Is it always so cold? I'm cold. I should've brought a bigger jacket. I'm cold. Aren't you cold?"

"Yes, Kitty, because we both know how much ice bothers me."

Kitty laughed the most irritating laugh she could muster. "Oh, Bobby, your so funny! You're a funny, funny guy!"

Bobby raised an eyebrow and gave her an incredulous stare.

"What?"

The two continued on and found their seats.

Kitty surveyed the area and prepared for her next move. As the game began and Bobby started paying attention, she pounced.

"Why does that guy have bigger thing-a-majigs than everyone else?"

"Thing-a-majigs? Pads? Bigger pads?"

"Yeah, pads. Why does he have bigger pads?"

"He's the goalie. He gets hit with the puck so he needs thicker pads."

"Oh. Why doesn't he just move out of the way?"

Bobby looked toward her. The annoyance on his face made her suppress a smile. "He's supposed to get hit with the puck. That's his job."

"Oh." Kitty took a sip from her soda. Suddenly, she got an idea.

She removed the lid from her cup and chugged down a considerable amount.

When she lowered the cup, she found Bobby staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I was thirsty."

"You have Dr. Pepper in your cleavage."

Kitty looked down. "So I do."

He simply shook his head and returned his attention to the ice.

Kitty smirked and preceded to suck on her straw. With only a small amount of soda left, the action made a loud gurgling sound.

It only took a few seconds for Bobby to turn to her again. "Do you mind?"

She pretended not to realized what she was doing. "Oops. Sorry."

Her minor distractions were working, but Kitty began to doubt whether she could keep it up for the duration of the game.

As she thought, she glanced up to the rafters and noticed a retired number hanging above them.

"Hey, Bobby. Who's number is that?"

Iceman let out a sigh and then looked up. "Mark Messier's."

"Who's he?"

"He was the captain of the Rangers when they won the Cup in '94. He's kind of a legend around here."

"Legend, huh?" Kitty thought for a moment and arrived at a divisive idea.

Suddenly, she stood up and yelled at the top of her lungs. "No, Bobby, I don't think Mark Messier is a pitiful loser! How could you say such a thing?!"

Bobby looked up at her in shock. "What the hell are you..."

"Mark Messier most certainly is not an overrated windbag! He leads the Rangers to the Cup and all he gets in return are insults from some guy sitting in section 122, row 11, seat 5! What is this world coming to?!"

As quickly as the tirade began, it ended. "Oops. I'm out of soda." She turned and made her way down the aisle.

At that point, Bobby was speechless. He glanced around to find snarling Rangers fans on all sides.

When Kitty reached the end of the row, she looked back to see that a few fans were already chiding him.

A smirked crossed her lips. "Kitty: two, Bobby: nothing."

-X-

Jean stared up at the ceiling.

She was exhausted, but for some reason she just couldn't sleep.

Duncan was on her mind. She didn't want him to be, but there he was.

She glanced to her night stand where a framed picture of the two of them sat.

As she focused on his picture, strange thoughts filled her head.

"_It wouldn't be hard to destroy him."_

"_He is weak and I am strong." _

"_Can I really allow him to get away with this?"_

Suddenly, the frame shattered and the picture withered and crumbled as though it had been set on fire.

Jean's head pounded like it never had before.

Her entire body ached and convulsed.

Just as quickly as it began, it ended and she laid there motionless.

Suddenly, her eyes shot open.

Jean sat up in bed and quickly made her way to her feet.

She grabbed her jacket and stepped out the door.

-X-

Storm's head was down on the table as Scott tapped his open history book with a pen. "Come on. You know this. He was a former prime minister and dictator of Italy."

"I don't know."

"He was an ally of Hitler's during World War II."

"I don't know."

"He was..."

Storm rose her head and glared at him. "I...don't...know."

Scott stopped tapping his pen and closed his book. "It was Mussolini."

"Mystery solved."

Just then, Jean stepped into the room and glanced around.

"Jean." Scott stood and walked over to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Is Xavier around?"

Storm's eyebrows arched. "Xavier?"

"I mean, Professor Xavier."

"I think he's in his study." Storm found something odd about Jean's demeanor. But when she couldn't put her finger on it, she quickly dismissed it.

"Good. I'm going to get some air."

Before Jean could step away, Cyclops put a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Jean, if you need to talk about anything. We're here for you."

Storm nodded. "That's right."

Jean glanced back at them. "Well, I won't lie. It hurt, but I've realized that he didn't deserve me. And I certainly didn't deserve him."

Scott agreed. "Absolutely."

"I don't know what attracted you to him on the first place."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "You don't find anything about him attractive?"

Storm thought for a moment. "Not really."

"I see. I guess a guy has to kill a few people before you get the hots for him."

Shocked, Cyclops jerked his head around to face her. "Jean!"

Storm slowly looked up from her text book. "What did you say?"

Jean glared back at her with unfeeling eyes. "Well, my point is that there are plenty of fish in the sea and unfortunately for you, not too many of them are homicidal maniacs."

As Storm rose, Scott tried to keep the peace. "Ok, Storm, just calm down."

The girls glared at one another, their expressions hard.

Finally, a smirk edged Jean's face.

"I don't give a damn what's going on with you, I'm about two seconds away from coming across this table and wiping that smirk off your face!"

Cyclops placed both hands on Storm's shoulders. "Come on, 'Ro, take it easy."

When Scott turned back to Jean, he found her walking out the front door.

"Jean?" He went after her and followed her out. "Jean, I think we need to talk about..."

"Jean?" He glanced around and she was nowhere to be seen. "What the hell is going on around here?"

-X-

Duncan walked Lisa to her door. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"I'll be ready. Listen, you don't think Jean is going to make a big deal about this do you? I really don't need that kind of thing in the middle of basketball season."

"I don't know. I would think you could just kick her off the squad and save yourself the headache."

Lisa smirked. "Now why didn't I think of that."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

Duncan turned and headed back to his car.

When he reached out to open the door, a sudden voice caused him to start.

"Duncan."

He spun around to face Jean.

The look of surprise on his face amused her.

"Jean? Where the hell did you come from?"

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood. I thought I would swing by and see how you were doing."

Duncan composed himself. "I'm fine. Look, it's too late to change your mind about doing what I say. We're done and I'm with Lisa now. So, if you've come here to beg, it won't work. But if you'd like to go ahead and do it, I'd be happy to listen."

"Oh, Duncan. I'm not going to be the one begging."

After a quick chuckle, Duncan crossed his arms. "What exactly would I beg you for?"

Jean suddenly reached out and grabbed him by the throat.

With strength that she could not naturally possess, she lifted him off the ground.

Duncan could only look down at her in terror.

"Mercy!"


	3. Part Three

**X-Men: Alpha**

**Episode V**

**A Woman Scorned**

**Part Three**

Kitty looked at her watch.

She had been sitting in the concourse of Madison Square Garden for over an hour.

Bobby still hadn't emerged from the stands.

It seemed unfathomable to her that he could have sat there through the entire game with all those fans giving him trouble.

When the horn blew signaling the end of the game, fans began heading for the exits.

After a few waves of people, Bobby stepped out. As he headed her way, Kitty noticed nacho cheese splattered on his shirt.

"What happened?"

"Well, despite your best efforts, I sat there and enjoyed the entire game. Sure I was ducking hot dogs and empty beer cups, but I hung in there. Why you ask? To spite you! That's why, baby!"

He turned and headed for the exit.

"Bobby, wait!" Kitty hopped up and ran to catch up with him. "Listen, I'm sorry I got you pelted."

"Yeah, I'll bet you are."

"I am! I was kind of..."

"A bitch?"

"Hey!"

Bobby raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, a bitch. Look, I was really mad. Since we broke up, I've been miserable and you've just moved on like I never meant anything to you."

Bobby stopped and faced her. "Kitty, I'm a guy. When guys break it off with a chick, they have to pretend that they don't care."

"Why?"

"Pride."

"So, you'd make me feel like I never meant anything to you so that you can keep your pride?!"

"Well, it sounds bad when you say it like that."

Kitty sat down on a nearby bench. Bobby could see tears beginning to well in her eyes.

He let out a heavy sigh and sat down beside her. "Kitty, there's no reason we can't coexist."

"I don't want to just coexist! I want us to be together!"

Bobby only shook his head. "Sorry, babe."

"Ok," She wiped away a tear. "can you look me in the eye and tell me this has nothing to do with Kurt?"

Bobby took her hands and looked her in the eyes. "This has nothing to do with Wagner."

As she stared at him, her eyes began watering even more. "Oh my God. This isn't about Kurt. You really do think I settled for you."

A nod was his only response.

"Oh, Bobby, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

Bobby took her in his arms before she broke into a full cry. "Hey, hey, hold on there. You don't have to apologize for anything, Kitty. It's not anyone's fault. It just kinda happened."

"I'm getting your shirt wet."

"That's ok. Maybe it'll wash off some of the cheese."

After a weak laugh, Kitty pulled away and wipe more tears from her face. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Well, we can just try and be civil towards each other, or we can try to be friends."

"I want to be friends."

Bobby smiled. "Me, too."

Kitty returned his smile. "Well, since we're friends, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Didn't this outfit do anything for you?"

Bobby shrugged. "I've seen you in less."

"What about the pig-tails?"

"Ok, the pig-tails drove me nuts. But you were counting on that, weren't you?"

A smirk edged her face. "Maybe."

"So, can I ask you something? Since were friends and all."

"Absolutely."

"Does this friendship have 'privileges'?"

Kitty clucked her tongue. "Sorry. I don't have sex with friends."

"Psst. You don't have sex with boyfriends either."

She reached out and hit him in the arm. "Hey!"

The two shared a laugh.

Afterwards, they found themselves staring at one another.

Both had leaned in; perhaps subconsciously.

As they gazed into each other's eyes, the decision to be friends was being internally questioned by both.

It was not too long ago that they would have given in to their urge to kiss without hesitation.

But circumstances had changed.

Kitty was the first to break eye contact. "So, uh, maybe we should be heading back."

Bobby quickly composed himself. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's a good idea."

The two rose from the bench and hailed a cab.

-X-

Storm stood outside of Cerebro. She leaned against the wall with her arms folded.

She stared forward with a hard glare.

It didn't matter to her what kind of day Jean had. She had no right to say those things to her.

So what if Jean was dumped by a guy she cared about. She had to watch a guy she cared about be gunned down.

James Beckett hadn't been on her mind in a while, but now he was all she could think about.

Despite the things he had done, he deserved a better fate.

She noticed Scott walking up to her. "If you're coming over here for the reason I think you are, you can save it."

"What?"

"You're going to make an excuse for Jean."

"Well, she has had a..."

"I said save it! I'm pissed at you enough as it is!"

Scott seemed legitimately surprised. "Me? What did I do?"

"You took her side despite the fact that she was totally out of line!"

"I didn't take her..."

Storm rose from the wall. "You told me to 'calm down' and 'take it easy'! I had a damn good reason to be mad! She totally blind sided me and you stuck up for her!"

Before Scott could responded the door to Cerebro opened.

Xavier wheeled out followed by Dr. McCoy.

Cyclops was happy to be able to change the subject. "Did you find her, Professor?"

"Yes, though it was more difficult than it should have been."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain but it seems like something is amplifying her powers. I tried to reach into her mind, but even with Cerebro I was unable. I have to get closer to her."

McCoy adjusted his glasses. "Luckily my van has a wheelchair lift."

"We'll go with you."

"No, Scott. The two of you need to get there faster."

Storm leaned back against the wall. "Why?"

"Because she is not alone. She has Duncan."

"You don't think she would hurt him do you?"

"She's not herself, Scott. There's no telling what she will do."

Cyclops quickly exchanged his glasses for his visor. "Ok. We'll take the Blackbird."

McCoy interjected. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. They're in a populated area. The Blackbird would draw far too much attention."

"Then how are we supposed to get there fast?"

Xavier and McCoy looked to Storm.

Cyclops took note and let out a sigh. "Oh no. She's driving, isn't she?"

-X-

The Windrider's engine roared as it tore down the street.

The heavily augmented mustang drove at a speed that would be illegal anywhere outside of a race track.

Inside, Cyclops clutched his seat belt and shifted nervously.

Storm held the steering wheel firmly as she navigated the vehicle. "I'm just saying that you always take Jean's side on everything."

"Do we really have to go this fast?"

"You need to realize that regardless of how you idealize her, she is capable of being just as thoughtless, rude, and self-centered as anyone else."

Scott jerked his head around. "Ok, that was a stop sign back there."

"I guess my point is that she can be a total bitch."

"Those cars are stopping!"

Storm maneuvered the car between the two cars without ever decelerating.

"Calm down. I know what I'm doing."

"Well, excuse me if I'd like to get there alive."

Storm gave him a hard glare. "Then just sit there and shut up."

Cyclops looked back at her but didn't respond.

-X-

Peter and Rogue walked toward the Institute.

"I don't know."

Colossus looked down at her. "Yes you do. You just don't want to tell me."

Rogue looked back up at him. "And?"

"Come on, now. It is a harmless question."

"Fine." Rogue hesitated. "Hugh Jackman."

"Ah. Well, he is rather handsome. I liked him in that first movie he did. What was it called? You know, he played that guy, with the things."

Rogue cocked an eyebrow. "The hairy guy?"

"Yes."

"I don't know. Who cares. It's your turn."

Peter though for a moment. "I have always been partial to Anna Paquin."

"Anna Paquin?! She sucks!"

"Well, we were talking about movie stars we find attractive, not talented. Although she is."

As the two grew closer to the house, Rogue stopped. "Listen. Before we go in there. I just want to tell ya that tonight wasn't...entirely...unbearable."

"No, it was not."

As Rogue started to continue walking, Peter's hand on her arm stopped her.

When she looked at him. "What?"

"I have a confession to make. Dr. McCoy told me why you were spending so much time in the Danger Room. However, that is not why I asked you out tonight. I...I.."

Peter's words trailed off when he noticed that Rogue looked like she was about to explode.

"He what?!!!"

"Uh...You see...um...we were..."

"That miserable sack of crap!! I am gonna kick his ass all over this place!!"

Peter took a step away.

"And you!! You felt you had to pity me, huh?!! Well, I don't want your damn pity!! So what's your plan?!! You gonna blackmail me into goin' on more stupid dates with you!! Gonna tell everybody I was with Magneto if I don't make myself all pretty for ya!! I swear to God, I'm gonna..."

Rogue stopped when she recognized a look of shock on Peter's face.

"What?!!"

The massive Russian's response was subdued. "Rogue, Dr. McCoy didn't tell me anything about Magneto."

She just stood there and stared at him for a moment.

If there was on thing that she knew about Peter Rasputin, it was that he was a terrible liar.

And he was not lying.

Rogue took a step back and composed herself.

"He didn't?"

"No. He just said that you were feeling helpless after the Sentinel battle."

He covered for her. Of course he did.

Rogue didn't trust too many people, but McCoy had never done anything to make her think he was not worthy.

"Well, now you know. I swear to God if you tell anyone, I'll..."

Peter only hung his head. The forlorn expression on his face gave her pause.

"...what?"

"Nothing. Do not worry about it. Your secret is safe with me. You have my word."

He started walking for the Institute.

"Peter."

The Russian turned to her.

"What's wrong?"

He merely shrugged. "I just don't know what else to do, Rogue. I have done all I can to show you that I want to be your friend, someone you could talk to. That I like you. Nothing seems to work."

Rogue only stared at him.

"I take you out for dinner and a movie and the next thing I know you are calling me a blackmailer and threatening me. You clearly don't want anything to do with me or anyone for that matter, so I will leave you alone. Good night."

"Peter, wait."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm not used to people wantin' to help me without wantin' somethin' in return. My mom, Magneto, hell even Xavier don't give somethin' for nothin'. I just never met anybody like you before. I don't know how to handle it."

"Gratitude usually works."

"Thank you, Peter. For everything."

Colossus turned to face her. "You are welcome."

"Look, if there's gonna be anythin' between us, whether it's a friendship or somethin' more...you know what, lets just start with a friendship...it ain't gonna be no walk in the park. I'm stuck in angry loner mode. I'm just askin' ya to be patient."

Peter smiled. "I will. I suppose we should head inside."

He offered her his arm, but she just looked at it. "I don't think so."

As she walked away, Peter's smile only broadened.

"Let the walk in the park begin."

-X-

Pain shot through Duncan's head as he came to.

He glanced around as he tried to remember what had happened.

He found himself on the floor of a run-down building. A few crates along the side of the room indicated that it may have been a storage room at some point.

Try as he might, Duncan could not remember how he got there.

The blonde young man rolled over onto his stomach and prepared to get up.

However, before he got far, he was lifted off the ground by unseen forces.

At that very moment, it all came back to him.

And he didn't like it one bit.

Suddenly, he was spun around to face his captor.

Jean's expression was cold as she surveyed him. "Welcome back. Feeling better?"

"Jean! What the hell are you?!"

She smirked as she began to circle him. "Can't you tell? I'm one of those big, bad mutants you hear so much about."

"Mutant?"

"That's right. You dated a mutie. How do you feel about that?"

"I...uh..I"

"Stunned? Well, of course you are."

"Listen, Jean, I didn't want to hurt you! It just sort of happened!"

Without warning, Duncan was thrown backwards and slammed into the wall. He struck with enough force to hurt him, but not enough to seriously injure him.

The telekinetic grip pulled him back to face her. "Oh, sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. It just sort of happened."

"Jean, please! Just let me go! I'll never tell anyone about you! I swear to God!"

To Duncan's surprise, he was released from his invisible bonds and fell to the floor.

"Thank you, Jean. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

As soon as he began to stand, a burst of telekinesis knocked him back to the ground.

"Don't thank me yet. I released you so that you could grovel at my feet and beg for your life."

Duncan slowly sat up. "My life?!"

"Oh, yes. You would be a very lucky to leave here alive. If you wish to improve your chances, you had better start begging like the dog you are."

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Duncan scrambled up to his knees. "Please don't kill me! I'll do anything you want! Anything! I'm begging you!"

Jean shook her head as she watched him squirm. "You're pathetic, Duncan. You've left me no choice. The only merciful thing to do is put you out of your misery."

"No! Please!" Duncan stood and ran for the door. However, before he reached it, he found that his feet were no longer touching the ground.

Though Duncan never would have thought it possible, tears were actually welling up in his eyes.

He didn't want to die. He was so young and had so much potential.

When Jean sat him back down where he had started, Duncan only hung his head.

"Giving up, are we? You're even more pitiful than I thought." Jean's telekinesis reached out and lifted a large crate. "If I were you, I'd be praying that this crate is heavy enough to crush you immediately. If not, this could take a while and be very painful."

With a sadistic smirk, Jean flung the crate toward him.

Out of nowhere, a red streak of energy struck the projectile; throwing it off course and slamming it into the wall.

Duncan looked up to see two individuals he had seen around school a few times. Though their names eluded him, he was sure they lived at that institute with Jean.

An institute which he was now convinced was some sort of mutant boarding house.

As such, he was uncertain as to whether he should rejoice or lament the arrival of more mutants.

The redhead glanced over her shoulder. "Well, it certainly took Xavier long enough to locate me."

Cyclops hand stayed poised to release another optic blast. "Back away from him, Jean. We don't want to hurt you."

Storm popped her knuckles. "He doesn't want to hurt you. I want to kick your ass."

Jean only smirked at her threat. "Well, I'm standing right here."

"Fine. Scott, you stay out of this."

Cyclops grabbed her arm before she could step forward. "Are you nuts?" He lowered his voice so that Jean could not hear. "In case you haven't noticed, there's very little weather in here."

"I know what I'm doing."

"We should take her together."

Storm moved his hand. "You're not going to be able to lay a finger on her. You just don't have it in you."

Scott prepared to rebut, but stopped.

Could he hurt Jean?

Storm clearly didn't think so and he wasn't sure she was wrong.

"Like I said; stay out of this. I'll handle it."

Ororo stepped toward Jean.

The two glared at each other until Storm's eyes grew pale.

"Oh, please, Storm. Don't insult me." Jean's smirk widened into a smile. " We both know there's not enough weather in this room for you to do anything significant."

Ororo ignored her and continued to focus her powers.

Suddenly, she lunged forward and struck Jean hard in the jaw.

Stunned, the psychic stumbled backward. Storm rushed toward her and delivered a strong kick to her stomach.

Jean hunched over and gasped for air.

With the words Jean had said echoing in her mind, Storm kicked her directly in the face.

Ororo was surprised that her opponent was able to keep her feet. She instead stumbled into the wall.

Though hand to hand combat was not Jean's style, she was by no means a weakling.

Knowing this, Storm pressed her advantage and drove her fist forward. She connected hard, but not with Jean.

Her fist had struck a telekinetic force field. Pain shot through her arm as she clutched her hand.

"The best thing about TK force fields," Jean wiped a small amount of blood from her lip, "is that your adversary can't tell when you have one up."

Storm tried to shake some feeling back into her hand. Suddenly, an immense pressure squeezed her fist.

"Of course, telekinesis has other advantages. Like when you grab someone, they are nearly helpless to fight back."

She twisted and pulled on the injured extremity, each time enjoying Storm's painful outbursts.

Duncan watched the scene in horror. He could easily have been the one enduring such torment.

Yet, he was not concerned for his rescuer, he had himself to worry about.

Without warning, someone grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to his feet.

The mutant with the visor pushed him against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?! Get out of here!"

"Wait a minute! I know you! Summers, right?! All you guys living in that house are mutants, aren't you?!"

Scott let loose a small optic blast that hit the wall only inches away from Duncan's head. "Is anybody going to find out about that, Duncan?!"

"No! No, I swear!"

"Then get out of here!"

A painful cry drew Cyclops attention back towards the fight.

Storm was on her knees clutching her hand.

Jean stood over her with a smug expression. "I bet it feels like your hand is in a vice. That must be pretty painful."

"That's enough, Jean! Let her go! Now!"

The redhead merely cocked an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you going to do if I don't?"

Scott reached up to his visor. "We're about to find out."

"Ha, ha! Don't be an idiot, Scott. We both know that you won't attack me."

Cyclops was torn. Jean was everything to him. How could he fire on her?

But Storm needed help. He had no doubt that Jean was only seconds away from breaking every bone in her hand.

"Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to torturing 'Ro." Jean turned back to her 'friend'.

"Jean."

The psychic rolled her eyes and turned back to him. "What?"

An optic blast shot across the room and slammed Jean into the wall with an audible thud.

She slid down the wall to the floor.

Cyclops ran to Storm's side. "Are you alright?"

"No. I think she broke my hand."

"Hang tight. The Professor and Dr. McCoy should be here any minute."

Scott stood and walked over to Jean.

He knelt down and brushed a few strands of red hair away from her face.

"Jean? Can you hear me?"

Suddenly, her hand shot forward and grabbed him by the throat.

Cyclops struggled against it but found her strength to be considerably greater than it should be.

Just then, her eyes opened revealing them to be pitch black.

Shocked, Scott offered little resistance as Jean rose to her feet.

Ororo turned to them. "What the hell?!"

Jean merely opened her palm and Storm was pulled toward her.

When she was close enough, Jean seized her by the throat as well.

She glared into both of their eyes.

"I will shatter your spines!"

The voice that emanated from her was not her own.

This one was darker and far more menacing.

Out of nowhere, she convulsed and released her grip on her foes.

Jean clutched her head. "You! You will not imprison me again! Not this time!"

The entire room began to quake as Scott pulled Storm toward him. "Stay close!"

"We have to get out of here!"

Cracks began to open along the floor and the only lightbulb in the room burst.

One of the crates in the room were tossed about, splintering against the walls.

And then...

...quiet.

For a moment, Cyclops and Storm just sat there, holding on to each other in the dark.

"Scott?"

"Yeah?"

"What just happened?"

"I have no idea."

Suddenly, the darkness was shattered by a bright lantern.

"Were you two planning on spending the night?"

Dr. McCoy's voice was both unmistakable and welcome.

"Dr. McCoy, Storm's hurt."

"I see. Let's have a look."

As McCoy tended to Storm, Cyclops stepped over to Jean.

She was laid out on the floor, unconscious.

"She'll be alright, Scott." Xavier came up beside him.

"With all due respect, sir, you said that earlier."

"Indeed."

"What the hell happened to her? She looked like she was possessed or something."

Xavier thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, but I will find out. Rest assured. In the meantime, we should get back to the Institute. When we arrive, I'll need to see you and Storm in my study immediately."

Scott reached down and took Jean into his arms. "I guess with 'Ro only having one good hand, I'll have to drive her car back."

"Not on your life!" Storm brushed past him. "I can drive better with one hand than you could with both."

As the group left the storage room, Duncan emerged from behind the last crate.

He still couldn't fathom everything that had happened that night, but one thing was for sure: he would be staying as far away from Jean as he possible could.

-X-

Gyrich opened the door and stepped aside for Robert Kelly.

"What a night, Henry! This election is in the bag!"

"Things have certainly gone better than expected, sir."

"They were eating out of my hand! That's a feeling I can't describe! Join me for a drink, Henry."

"Thank you, sir."

Kelly picked up a bottle of twelve year old scotch and began to pour two glasses.

"Here you are, Henry. To the Senate."

The two touched glasses, but before they could drink, the was a knocking at the door.

"Allow me, sir."

Gyrich opened the door to a man in a tan trench coat.

"Can I help you?"

"No." The man reached in and pushed Gyrich out of the way.

He stepped in and faced Kelly.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"My name is Colonel Daniel Rossman, Mr. Kelly. I believe the two of us have something in common."

-X-

Cyclops leaned back in his chair as he waited in the Professor's study.

He couldn't take his mind off of the way Jean had tried to kill he and Storm.

Emotional stress causing her to behave rather irrationally didn't quite explain what he had seen.

Talking the way she did to Storm was irrational.

Kidnapping Duncan was very irrational.

Tormenting Storm was extremely irrational.

Turning into some kind of demon and trying to snap his neck went way beyond irrational.

Suddenly, he was snapped from his thoughts when Storm came behind him and nudged his chair back to all four of it's legs.

"Storm. How's your hand?"

"It's alright. Nothing was broken."

"Good."

Storm sat down in another chair and took a deep breath. "Ok. I'm sorry I jumped your case tonight. I was really mad and I took it out on you."

"You don't have to apologize, 'Ro. You were right. I sometimes can't see Jean's faults."

"You can never see Jean's faults."

"OK, fine. Never. The point is, I'll try to be more perceptive."

"Good. I'll try to be less of a bitch."

Scott smiled. "I'd like to see that."

"Hey! Cram it, pal!"

Before the exchange could continue, Xavier and McCoy entered the study.

Cyclops immediately stood. "How's Jean?"

"Resting comfortably." McCoy answered.

Xavier came to a stop behind his desk. "Neither of you said anything to the others?"

"No." Storm responded first. "Although, I don't like not letting them in on this."

"Good. I have discovered Jean's problem. You see, Jean's mental powers have evolved in a most peculiar way. You may find this hard to believe, but Jean has the potential to be the most powerful mutant alive."

Cyclops eyebrows arched. "Really?"

"Yes. The problem is that her powers are rooted more in her subconscious than in her conscious mind. That has caused her progression to be exponentially slower than normal."

"She seems like she's progressed the same as the rest of us."

"That, Storm, is because she is far more powerful than you. While most of you are already reaching the pinnacle of your powers, Jean has hardly scratched the surface."

Storm cocked an eyebrow. "My powers have already peaked?"

"No, not yours or Bobby's, but everyone else's have. The point is, that much psychic power in the subconscious is not normal. It can even, as you have seen, be dangerous. Psychics can completely loose control."

"That doesn't seem to explain what happened just before you guys showed up. She was ready to kill us both. Her voice changed and her eyes turned black. It was unreal."

Storm nodded as Cyclops recounted the events. "And she was a lot stronger than she should have been."

"Your right. Such an occurrence is like nothing I have ever seen. My theory is this; the power rooted in Jean's subconscious was of such unbelievable magnitude, that it actually developed into it's own being."

McCoy, Scott, and Storm just looked at him. None were quite sure what to say.

"I know it sounds impossible, but I can think of no other explanation."

"Actually, Charles, it may not be so ludicrous. It's possible for things buried in the subconscious to fester and eventually lead to a fractured psyche. Of course, those are usually repressed emotions or memories. Nothing like this."

"Yeah, but Doc, why was she so crazy and murderous?" Storm asked.

"Well, often times when a split personality is developed, the created personality is bitter, angry and even violent."

"This is all well and good, Professor, but what are we going to do about it?"

Xavier let out a deep sigh. "That, Scott, I do not know. What I do know is that we must do everything in our power to see to it that Jean's alter ego does not emerge again."

"How?"

"By never allowing this information to leave this room."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "You're not telling Jean about this?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Right now, this 'thing' is rooted in Jean's subconscious. If she were aware of it, it could possibly pass to her conscious mind and thus have a much better chance of emerging."

Storm stood up. "So, let me get this straight. There could be a psychopathic entity inside of her just waiting to jump out a kill everyone, and you don't think she deserves to know about it?"

"She deserves to, yes. However, the risk of her losing control again would be much greater. I don't think that is something we should chance."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I agree with Storm. We can't keep this from her or the others."

Xavier looked at the two of them for a few moments and then turned away from them. "You both feel very strongly about this. I suppose there is nothing I can do to convince you?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, Professor."

"I see."

McCoy noticed that Cyclops and Storm had suddenly stopped moving. They were just staring forward like zombies.

He even waved his hand in front of Scott, but he did not react.

"Well, it is a good thing that Jean was perfectly fine when you found her. I suppose I was wrong about her kidnapping Duncan. Nonetheless, I'm just glad that this was just another harmless incident brought on by emotional stress." Xavier eyes closed as he spoke.

"It could have been worse, sir. I'm just glad that everything's fine now."

McCoy nearly jumped as Scott sprang back to life.

Storm let out a yawn. "Whew. I'm beat. I'm going to head for bed."

"Me too. Good night, Professor, Dr. McCoy."

McCoy only watched as the two made there way out of the room.

"My hand hurts. I wonder what I did to it."

"You probably just slept on it wrong."

As soon as the door closed, Dr. McCoy slowly turned to Xavier. "Charles. How could you?"

"Hank, you have to trust me. Jean cannot be allowed to find out about this."

"So you would manipulate the minds of the people that trust you more than anyone else in this world?!"

Xavier turned to face him. "Do you think I enjoyed doing that?! I will never forgive myself! But Jean must not know about this! It would be disastrous!"

McCoy withdrew slightly and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

Xavier merely turned back away from him.

"You know what that thing inside her is, don't you?!"

When an answer didn't come immediately, McCoy assumed the worst.

"This is unacceptable, Charles! You can not keep something like this from them! Every moment they are around Jean, they are in danger! Not to mention..."

McCoy's words trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Charles, what were we talking about?"

"Jean." Xavier hung his head in shame. "It turns out she's just fine."

"Oh, good. Another case of emotional stress no doubt. Anyway, I wanted to mention some changes to the Danger Room. You see..."

Charles Xavier didn't hear a word his colleague said.

He was now guilty of that which he has dedicated his life to stopping.

He did not regret his actions, however.

They were necessary to protect Jean.

There was nothing he would not do to keep her from harm.

Nevertheless, he would not sleep soundly tonight.

Or possibly ever again.

Coming Up

Episode VI: Cross-town Rivals


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